Floodwaters Begin to Recede in Northeast

Thursday, April 01, 2010

The rains may have stopped in New England, but there's still plenty of water to contend with--especially in Rhode Island.

Amtrak service between New York and Boston is still suspended due to track flooding. Service from the city to Washington DC is running but riders may experience delays because of the disruptions in New England. Customers with tickets should call Amtrak customer service so they can be honored at another time.

Amtrak spokesman Cliff Cole said this week's storm caused significant flooding along the Northeast corridor and poses a danger to the trains, which are powered by overhead electrical wires. “Water and electricity do not mix, and that's not a safe thing, and we don't want the trains to become disabled passing through large amounts of waters,” Cole said.

The Associated Press reports that Ocean State residents are waking up to the worst flooding in the state in 200 years. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano plans to travel to Rhode Island on Friday to assess the damage.

In Hempstead, on Long Island, a town official says the popular Lido Beach West is "all but devastated" because of the sand that was lost.

NOTE SINCE THIS ARTICLE WAS FIRST POSTED: This story has been updated to reflect Ms. Napolitano's upcoming visit to Rhode Island and the ongoing suspension of Amtrak train service.

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Jenna Flanagan has been an Associate Producer and contributing reporter for WNYC's All Things Considered, local news since 2006. Prior to that, she worked for 3 years as a general assignment reporter for the WBGO news department and won a Garden State Association of Black Journalists award.